Setts



(No Model.)

B. W. THOMPSON & M. MOORE.

MAIL BAG GATGHBR AND DELIVERER.

Patented Jan.30,1883.

IFIVEII Entree STATES Aren't FFKQE.

EDWARD W. THOMPSON AND ALBERT M. MOORE, OF LOWELL, MASSACHU- SETTS, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO JAMES W. BENNETT, OF SAME PLACE.

MAIL-BAG CATCH ER AND DELIVEREIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,543, dated January 30, 1883.

Application filed July 12, 1882. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD W. THOMP- SON and ALBERT M. MOORE, both of Lowell, in the county ofMiddlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Receiving and Delivering Mail-Bags, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention is intended to be used in conto nection with the catcher generally employed on postal-cars for receiving mail-bags suspended at the side ofthe track; and, in general terms, it consists of an arm for holding out at a distance from the traveling car a mail-bag, means for releasing said bagfrom said arm at the proper place, and means for receiving said bag when the latter drops from the arm.

' 1n the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the rear end of a postal-ear with a catcher-post at the side of the track. Figs. 2 and 3 are side views of the catcher-post with the lower arm attached thereto, the lower arm being in Fig. 2 in a position to receive a bag lrom the car, and in Fig. 3 in the position it occupies after the car has passed. Fig. 4 is a view of the side of the post and of the devices which hold up the lower arm, if desired, when" no bag is suspended from the post, Fig". 4 being a horizontal cross-section of the catch, to 0 show the beveled edge thereof. Fig. 5 is a plan of the ordinary catcher with deliveringarm attached to the spindle thereof, the spindle turning in bearings on the door-posts ofthe car, the finger of the delivering-arm being in 5 contact with the post, the latter being shown in horizontal cross-section. Figs. 6 and 7 are horizontal sections of the delivering-arm and catcher-post, showing the attachment of the finger provided with the pin, and of the spring 0 to said delivering-arm, the pin and spring be ing separated in Fig. 6 and in contact in Fig. 7. Fig.8 is'an oblique view of part of the spindle and part of the delivering-arm and the slotted sleeve. Fig; 9 is a vertical section 5 through the sleeve and spindle at the deliverlug-arm. A is a postal-car on the track B, both of common form. Uisacatcher-post at the side of the track, having an upper arm, D, hinged to the post, as usual, in such a manner that when no bagY is suspended therefrom the arm will stand vertically, the outer end of the arm being heavy enough to overbalance the inner end, and the arm being hinged at E to said post. A strap, F, of metal, is secured by a staple, I, on the upper side of the arm D in such a manner that it may swing around when the bag is knocked off from it by the catcher G. The ring or strap at one end of the bag Y intended to be received on-the train is hung on the strap F.

All of the above-named parts are now in common use, and with them is used a lower arm pivoted to the post below the upper arm, and provided on its under side with a strap similar to the strap F, which lower strap reaches through the strap or ring at the bottom of the mail-bag, the lower arm falling when the bag is removed by the catcher.

The operation of the catcher Gis'well known, and is described in Letters Patent to L. F. \Vard, No. 61,584, dated January 29, 1867, it being secured to the spindle H, (which turns in bearingsL L, secured to the door-posts M M of the car,) and being raised from a vertical to a horizontal position by means of the handle N, also secured to said spindle.

The delivering-arm 0 embraces the spindle H within a sleeve, T, and projectsfrom saidspindle through a slot, S, in said sleeve. The arm O is not rigidly attached to the. spindle, and

is moved not directly by the revolution of the spindle, but by the revolution of the sleeve and by the end of the slot S striking said arm, and the sleeve is so secured to the spindle that when the catcher G hangs vertically against the side of the car (that being the position of the catcher when not in use) the arm 0 is also held against the side of the car by the upper or outer end of the slot resting against the upper or outer side of the arm 0. \Vhen the catcher G is raised to a horizontal position the arm 0 is raised(but not as high as the catcher is) by the lower or inner end of the slot S striking the inner or under side of said arm 0. (See Fig. 1.) The outer end of the arm 0 has a slot, 0, lying substantially in the same plane as the spindle H and extendingthrough said arm. ThefingerPis placed partly within said slot 0, and is pivoted at P to said arm 0, and projects beyond said arm. The inner end of the finger P is bent at P at nearly,

right angles with the body of the finger, and

the end of said. part P rests against a platespring, Q, secured at its inner end to the arm 0, the outer end of said spring being free and pressing against a 'pin, P rigidly secured to said fingerand projecting through said slot 0. The ring of the bag to be delivered from the car is hung on this pin P and is held thereon by the spring Q until the end of the finger strikes the post 0, which has the effect to throw the finger back, thereby drawing the pin P back into and through the slot 0, and away from the spring Q, the bent end P of the finger at the same time crowding the spring Q away from the pin P The drawing back of the pin P and the pushing forward of the spring Q allow the bag to fall from the arm 0.

,To prevent the bag from falling into the dirt or rolling under the car-wheels when it falls from the arm 0, we provide means described below. In the place of the usual lower arm of the catcher-post we hinge a frame, R, of metallic rods, or formed from a single rod, the sides of which converge near the front end or upper end, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) the side next the post being slightly lower than the side next the train. The difl'erence in the height of the sides is made in order that the delivering-arm maynot get between said sides.

In order to allow of the bag getting between the sides of tlieframe without making theframe of an impracticable length. we bend the frame into the shape shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and hinge it to the catcher-post at an angle to the same. If the frame be constructed as above described, the bag would ordinarily be caught in the angle of the frame at the front of the same; but in order to make sure of the safety of the bag when dropped from the deliveringaim we place between and below the sides of the frame anet-work,R,attached to said frame, and consisting preferably of wire net-work, as shown, although a net-work ofleather, rawhide, or canvas may be used.

The above description of the frame supposes it to be placed, when in use, in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. In this position it is ordinarily held,when in use, by the lowerring ofthe bagorcatcher-pouch being placed around the strap F, which is secured by a staple, I, to an ear, D, welded to the side of the frame. It will be seen that the frame, in addition to its peculiar functions, also fulfills all the purposes of the lower arm commonly used.

In order that the frame may be used to receive a bag or pouch from the postal-car when no bag is to be delivered to the car, said frame is held in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 by a projection welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the side of the frame next the post 0, which projection X, being placed under the catch V, pivoted to said post, holds the frame in the position last named until the finger P, striking the part of the catch above the pivot, releases said projection at substantially the time when the bag is dropped from the de- 1ivering-arm,whereupon theframe falls against the post, as shown in Fig. 3. When the frame is raised the projection strikes the beveled part c of the catch V and swings it aside, passes beyond said catch, and the catch, then swinging into place, holds up the frame.

Our invention is simple, durable, easily attached to the devices now in use, saves wear of the bags, and avoids the danger to persons and propertyincident to throwing the bag from a rapidly-moving train.

Ve claim as our invention- 1. The combination of the arm 0, the finger P, hingedthereto, and provided with the pin P and bent end I, and the spring Q, the whole adapted to be operated to hold a bag or pouch, and to release the same upon said finger striking a post at the side of the track, as described.

2. The frame R, provided with sides which converge together in front, and with a net-work, R, placed between and below said sides and connect d to said sides, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the frame orlower arm, It, the post 0, the projection X, rigidly secured to said frame It, and the catch V, pivoted to said post G, as and for the purpose specified.

EDWARD W. THOMPSON. ALBERT M. MOORE.

Witnesses:

KIRKLEY HYDE, IRVING S. PORTER. 

